Elm Company, an eleven-year-old company known for its headwear designs, announced today the brand’s new ownership and direction. With roots planted in Los Angeles, Elm was founded in 2003 by friends Brett Wiley and Alex Karayan. In 2006, Wiley stepped away from Elm and moved to the Teton’s, gaining new life experiences while also designing and marketing for a couple of start-ups, as Karayan continued to focus on the brand. In late 2013, Wiley (back in L.A.) partnered with Hello Distribution and together they assumed ownership of Elm Company. Ready for a fresh start, Wiley tapped snowboarders, and friends, Bryan Iguchi and Mark Carter to collaborate in the brand’s new direction.

Iguchi, a Jackson Hole, WY based snowboarder who recently won the TransWorld SNOWboarding Legend Award, is a partner in Elm Company, and will help to refresh the company’s snowboard team taking on a mentorship role, and will also join the team as a rider himself. “It’s an honor to be a part of the new Elm team. I’m really looking forward to working on riding projects, as well as developing and testing products,” said Iguchi. “I spend a lot of time with Carter in the backcountry and it’s great to have another common purpose to bring our crew even closer together.”

Carter, a professional snowboarder and businessman, splits his time in Wyoming between the mountains and on his family’s cattle ranch in Ten Sleep. He is a partner in the Elm Company business, and is also a new member of the snowboard team. “It’s an honor to be brought on as a partner/rider to such a veteran company and amazing team. I’m excited to see what the future holds,” said Carter.

Wiley will oversee design and marketing, working closely with Iguchi, Carter, Elm’s updated athlete roster which includes Justin Fronius, Blake Paul, Nils Mindnich, Hans Mindnich, Dillon Ojo, Taku Hiraoka, and the brand’s sales reps and distributors. “Our goal and number one priority with Elm’s design is to create a functional and quality product,” explained Wiley. “As far as aesthetics go, we will be creating a more streamlined and focused collection that will be wearable for years to come.”

The Fall/Winter 2014 Collection reflects samplings of the brand’s new ownership, but the Spring/Summer 2015 Collection will be the first truly designed, distributed, and marketed in full under the new ownership.

While the company has some fresh faces, the company’s core mission will not change. Elm Company™ was founded on the love for the outdoors and the creativity that comes from experiencing it firsthand. Focused on the goal of creating something unique, the brand was built around the philosophy, “Rooted in Life.”